World of Warcraft subscriptions dip to 7.6 million

World of Warcraft experienced a very slight dip in subscriptions, losing approximately 100,000 players during the third quarter, which ended September 30, 2013.

In announcing its third quarter 2013 financial results, Activision Blizzard revealed "World of Warcraft remains the number one subscription-based MMORPG, with approximately 7.6 million subscribers."

Although it's just a 100,000 drop since the last quarter, the latest figure, again, represents a new low for the long-standing MMORPG since the launch of the first expansion, The Burning Crusade, in 2007. World of Warcraft has now lost 700,000 subscribers since the 8.3 million reported back in May for Q1 2013.

World of Warcraft remains a strong subscription-based MMORPG, but it's clear that it is no longer the powerhouse it was in 2010 when it boasted more than 12 million subscribers at its peak. I doubt it'll ever see the return to double digits. The Mists of Pandaria expansion helped push subscriptions back over the 10 million mark in October 2012, but as you can see that was short-lived. With yet another drop in subscribers, one has to wonder when World of Warcraft will make the leap to free-to-play.